The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1887-09-24
THE CHESTNUT BELL.

Inc News OF Its Existence Finally Reaches
AN English Magazine Editor.
To say that the Americans have got
new slang expression is like repeat
ing the ancient news that man died
yesterday in London. But there are
giants even among the Brobdingnags,
and from time to time a fresh Ameri-
canism breaks out "like an Irish rebel
lion thirty thousand strong" and rises
to the dignity of a national institution.
Such seems to be the magnitude and
Importance of the simple word "chest-
nuts" Like many great incarnations
"chestnuts' came at first before the
world in humble guise. AS an Ameri-
can AnglO-German poet has sung:
No one knew how it was started
Or how do fore-shlog came
but about two years ago, where or
whenever a Frenchman would have
cried "Connu!" or an Englishman have
murmured "Joe Millcr" the Transat-
lantics began to yell "chestnutsr'
Woe to the man who tried to palm of
an "old soldier" for recruit, " if any
one was present who recognized a
single feature. But, as usual, when
the etymOlogists examined the new
phrase, nobody knew whence it came.
1t was said that the dead chestnut of
last year suggested, like Villon's SHOWS
of the preceding year or of the south
wind, its origin. Any one who has
prowled in the forests in spring time
knows how often a chestnut may be
picked up which is fair to view, but
which on examination proves to be
about as valuable as Dead Sea apple.
Another Investigator declared that the
word was derived from certain invet
crate repeater of WORKOUT jokes named
Chestnut, who had actually been in
dicted by u grand jury in Connection
as public nuisance "because nobody
could stand his stories"
But it is time to consider what will
be the ultimate effect of the chestnut
bell on American intellect and culture,
Is it really good for a country to have
no old jokes. no venerable Jocs, no
standards of ''fun?" Everybody can
not rise to point of order or to the
point of a joke with the acumen of Il
Riddleberger. Even great American
declared, after years of investigation
through the annals of medieval, classic,
Egyptian and Assyrian wit and humor,
that there are only twenty-five original
tests in existence. and that all known
at the present day can be referred to
one or another of these. At the end OF
the last century the chestnut bell was
rung IN France as "COnnu!' The re-
sriJ has been-froth. A feyerish fret
fitness for something new. and ever
something new. brought France from
Rabelais to Voltaire-some may say
raised it--5ut the cry of "Connu! de-
based it to endless isolated frivolous
witticisms. There has been great re-
joicing over the death of the pun; but
even the pun was not SO bad as the
mere slang phrase which is succeeding
it.
One can not reflect without horror
what the result would be should this
great American "campanologistic cor
receive" be introduced to England
Fancy she chestnut bell in our House Of
Commons-worse yet, in the House o.
Lords! But even here there is 4 CLEAN
of light 1t is within the reach of i'm
agination to conceive its being runG
with great effect during one Of Mr.
Gladstone's speeches. Imagine Lore
Randolph Churchill armed with one
Imagine-but the imagination of thu
reader will supply the rest. If there
ever was bell which deserved to bea
the inscription "fulgura FRANCO" it il
the chestnut. That will break up tn,
thunders of "the gods. "-Satsrdoy Re
VietO.